The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-03
TYBEE ISLAND.
THE IMPROVEMENTS OF THAT
POPULAR RESORT.

Location-The MarteIlo Tower-Bom-
bardment of Fort Pulaski-Descrip-
ton of the Island-The BatherS- Ty-
bee as a Summer Resort-Not Suffi-
Gent Hotel Accomm odations-Tybee
Beach Company to the Rescue-An-
other New Hotel to be Erected
Other mprovements-2O,O 900 Visi-
s-Amusem ents-The Tybee Rail-
| road-President d. G. Purse-A Tri-
umphant Success-A Clay Jacket
Only Slightly Damaged by the
| Freshet-Soon Will be in First-Class
| Condition--Route of the Road, Etc.
Tybee Island is situated at the entrance
/ to the port of Savannah, where her males
| tic river debouches into the sea, and just
opposite the commodious and land-locked
roadstead in which hundreds of ships may
! ride securely at anchor, while the fiercest
| tempests rage outside. 1t is a spot of some
historical interest, having been identified
with every event of any Importance con-
nected with the early settlement and defense
of the country. In fact, even before Ogle-
thorpe ever stepped foot upon its shores it had
been regarded as point of strategical sig
nifcance as is shown by its famous
MARTELLo TOWER,
| the circular walls of which are still in a
state of perfect preservation, albeit the
origin Of the work is hidden in the mazes of
antiquity. 1t is thought to have been erected
| by the Spaniards in the chivalrous days
| of Ponce de Leon or De Soto, those knight
| Grants of old, but like the ancient stone
mill at Newport, R. l., and other quaint
| military structures on the coast they possess
| no written history, and even tradition fails
to solve the mystery of their existence.
! Both in the war of the revolution and the
late Confederate struggle, the island was
| fortified, and the scene of military opera
| tons, and it was here that the Fedorals
planted the powerful siege guns, which
| fired at half range, soon knocked the mas
| sive brick walls of Fort Pulaski about the
| ears of its gallant defenders. The old tram
way over which the artillery was trans
| ported, and the batteries erected for the re-
| duction of the fort, are still plainly to be
| seen.
The island, with its forest growth of live
oak, cabbage palmetto, ferns and other
evergreens, to the eye of the stranger pre-
sents a novel and picturesque appearance.
| The surface is broken; numerous little hills
| or hummocks following each other in regular
succession Indeed, the most opposite illus
tration would be to imagine the ocean
tossed by tempest, in full posses
| sion, and then when the waves were
| gealed and transformed into dry land, with
all their undulations intact, but solidified.
| On either side old ocean spreads forth his
| broad expanse of waters, fringed by firm
and snowy shell-sprinkled beach, upon
| which the ever restless pillows, like foaming
steeds of the desert chasing each other, con-
| tinually break and roar.
| Here, when the days are pleasant and the
tide is up, multitudes of joyous beings clad
in nondescript garments are won't to disport
| in the waves, forming the most preposterous
| caricatures of themselves as viewed in the
| parlor or ball room. But why criticise!
| They are but seeking renewed health and
vigor in the salt-laden breeze and bounding
surf, and relief from the sitting atmosphere
of the crowded city.
| TYBEE AS A SUMEER RESORT.
| With its present. facilities of access,
| Tybee Island is destined soon to become the
| favorite health and pleasure resort
not only of Savannah, but of thousands in
the interior of the State There, under the
low excursion rates soon to be inaugurated
/ whole families. Sunday schools and picnic
expeditions, may HE themselves, arriving in
| in few hours without change of cars, and
then, after the glorious excitement of an
ocean bath and the witchery of music and
the merry dance have been enjoyed, those
who desire to do so, can return to the city
| in few minutes, and take in its lions and
many objects of interest
The only drawback the present season
| has been the lack of sufficient hotel accomo-
dations True, the proprietors of the Ocean
House and Mr.. Wright have done their best
| to entertain the multitudeS of visitors dur
ing the late hot weather that thronged the
| island to enjoy bathing and fresh air, but
| they had not room for hundreds of them.
| Arrangements have been made by the
| ''TYBEE BEACH COMPANY"
who own the Ocean House, which is leased to
| the Messrs. Hodges, to erect another spacious
| hotel with capacity of 125 rooms, hav-
ing all the modern Improvements attached,
and to be kept open in the winter also, for
| the entertainment of Northern guests who
may be partial to salt atmosphere in ad-
dition,to the mild climate. Servants quar-
ters more bathing houses, new billiard
saloon, and probably large wing are ex-
pected to be added to the Ocean House es-
| Enlistment before the next season.
Albeit the summer was more than two
thirds over when the railroad communica-
tion with the city was perfected, it is esti-
mated that not less than
TWENTY THOUSAND PERSONS
have visited Tybee since that period. A fine
cornet band discourses sweet music three
times per week in the pavilion of the Ocean
| House, and dancing, promenading the beach
l
nlents on these occasions.
THE TYBEE RAILROAD.
| This highway to the ocean was opened to
the public on July IL. To the interchangeable
energy undaunted pluck and persistent eff
| forts Of
| CAPT. d. g. PURSE,
the clever President of the company, is the
success of the enterprise mainly due. Many
hooted at the idea of constructing a road
through the wide extent of Salt marsh, in
| tersected with deep rivers, and ever ex-
posed to the inroads of tide and tempest
But still the brave Captain refused to aban-
don the undertaking, and at length a com
pany was formed, with himself In the lead,
the route surveyed and pronounced practi-
cable, and operations were begun at once
and pushed forward with his characteristic
energy. The result was
TRIUMPHANT SUCCESS.
1t was found that the salt marsh which
was supposed to be nothing more than a
soft and yielding bed of mud, in reality
rested upon a foundation of stiff blue clay,
which, when excavated and exposed to the
suns rays hardened rapidly and became i'm
pervious 10 water and the elements.
Upon this solid foundation superstruc-
ture Of pure sand has been laid, obtained
from Causton's Bluff, in the near vicinity,
he de